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THE WORLD Health Organization (WHO) has warned that it is too early for the world’s countries to say they have won the fight against COVID-19 or stop efforts to prevent transmission of the virus.
This is because many countries have not yet reached the peak of the Omicron variant wave, even though the symptoms caused are milder than the Delta variant.
“It’s too early for any country to give up or declare victory (against COVID-19). This virus is dangerous, and it continues to evolve before our very eyes,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as quoted by NDTV, Tuesday (2/2) 01).
Tedros’ comments came after Denmark on Tuesday announced his country was lifting all COVID-19 restrictions. It also makes Denmark the first country in the European Union to no longer impose domestic restrictions, amid the rising number of Omicron cases. A number of other countries are also reportedly considering similar steps.
“We (WHO) are concerned that the narrative has prevailed in some countries (which mentions) that because of the vaccine and Omicron’s high transmission and lower severity, preventing transmission is no longer possible, and is no longer necessary,” Tedros said.
Nevertheless, he noted that more cases of transmission of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 had the potential to increase the death rate in various countries. On the other hand, the United Nations (UN) health agency said that since the Omicron variant was first identified in South Africa at the end of November 2021, nearly 90 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported to WHO.
This data, he said, was more than the number of cases of corona virus infection in 2020. We are now starting to see a very worrying increase in deaths in most areas of the world.
In line with her, WHO Technical Lead for COVID-19, Maria Van Kerkhove revealed that many countries have not yet reached the peak of cases of this highly contagious Omicron variant.
Thus, he urged countries around the world to continue implementing efforts to prevent the transmission of the corona virus.
“Many countries have not passed the Omicron peak. Many countries have low vaccination coverage rates with highly susceptible individuals in their populations,” Van Kerkhove said.
As reported by Reuters, Wednesday (2/01), Van Kerkhove also said that now is not the right time to lift all COVID-19 restrictions at once. We always urge, always be careful, in implementing interventions and revoking the intervention (restriction rules) properly and slowly, little by little. Because this virus is quite dynamic. [sources/photo special]
